Sekondi, Ghana: The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has raised concerns over the continued practice of open defecation in communities along the seashore within the Metropolis. Despite various efforts by the Assembly, the issue remains prevalent in about 15 communities, alarming local authorities.
According to Ghana News Agency, the ‘Operation clean your surroundings’ campaign is a crucial step towards enforcing the Assembly’s environmental sanitation by-laws and promoting a sense of responsibility among citizens for a cleaner environment. The campaign will focus on raising awareness about cleanliness, hygiene, waste management, and environmental preservation. This initiative will include media campaigns and the deployment of a task force to ensure adherence to sanitation by-laws.
Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) Mr. Abdul-Mumin Issah, speaking at the launch of ‘Operation clean your surroundings’ in Sekondi, emphasized the gravity of the situation. He revealed that in 2021, 176 individuals were arrested for open defecation, with 89 arrests in 2022 and 40 by the end of the third quarter of 2023. He noted that 27 houses without toilets and 30 other sanitation-related nuisances were successfully prosecuted this year, indicating a persistent challenge in addressing sanitation and hygiene issues in the Metropolis.
Additionally, the STMA, under the European Union-funded Twin-Cities in Sustainable Partnership Project (TCSPP), is constructing 500 bio-digester toilets for households in coastal communities, prioritizing female-headed households, the disabled, and the aged. This intervention aims to provide necessary infrastructural support to reduce the menace of open defecation.
Mr. Issah expressed his confidence in the collective efforts of stakeholders to overcome this challenge. The ‘Operation clean your surroundings’ campaign is part of a three-year TCSPP, implemented by the STMA, Palermo Municipality in Italy, and other partners. It aims to enhance hygienic lifestyles and promote healthy living conditions by addressing environmental cleanliness.